411 
PHASCOGALE APICALIS. 
than lmlf an inch in length, quite naked, and blind. “Above 
the mnnimre of the mother, observes Mr. Gilbert, is a very 
small fold of skin, from which the long lmirs of the under 
surface spread downwards, nnd effectually cover and protect 
the young. This fold in the skin of the abdomen is the only 
approximation to a pouch which I have found in any of the 
members of this genus. The young are very tenacious of 
life : those above mentioned lived nearly two days attached to 
the mamma) of the dead mother. 
The black hairs of the end of the tail form a small pencil or 
tuft; hence the mime ajrictilis was applied to this species, but 
the tail can scarcely be said to differ in this respect from 
other species of the Antechinus section ; the basal part of 
the tail, however, is clothed with longer hairs than usual. 
The English name given by Mr. Gould I have adopted os 
calling attention to a striking characteristic of the P. ap tea lit, 
when compared with other Phascogales, viz. its freckled ap¬ 
pearance. On the hack the hairs are of a very dark grey at 
the root; each hair is of n yellowish brown colour in the 
middle, annulnted with white or rusty white below the point, 
and black at the point: on the hinder part of the back the 
white is replaced by rusty yellow, and hence the general tint 
is here darker and richer. On the under parts of the body 
the hairs are yellowish white, hut faintly tinted with grey at 
die root. The ears are rather small, and tolerably well 
clothed, and the hairs are for the most part black and 
yellowish. The fore legs are always suffused with rust 
colour externally—usually very' bright: the hind legs are 
also tinted with rust colour, hut less distinctly than the 
* 
anterior limbs. The feet are of a dirty yellowish white 
colour: the whole sole of the foot is covered with small hut 
distinct tubercles, with the exception of the larger fleshy 
pads, which are in part transversely striated, and the under 
